Tag Archives: 170BPM

TMSV – Fission Chips [RUA Sound]

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Few labels in recent memory have started as strong as RUA Sound. Their first release featured future jungle heavyweights Sully and Sam Binga and unsurprisingly sold out in no time at all (c’mon guys, repress…) so we were more than a little pleased to hear of a follow up from promising upstart TMSV.

Continuing RUA’s quest to unearth the best genre-bending sounds from the bleeding edge of the 170BPM spectrum, we’re treated to two weighty cuts with more than enough muscle for the dancefloor but plenty of playful experimentation to boot. Fission Chips kicks things off with an 8-bit grime hook, rapid footwork-style hats and hypnotic arpeggios set to a hefty slab of sub bass pressure; proper head nodding business.

Over on the flip things take on more of a dub/jungle vibe, with classic reggae sounds mixed with a sparse beat and some super tasty snare rolls. Yes please! Another fine release from a label we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on; check it out below and hit up Redeye or Kudos to grab the wax right now.

Q&A – Beat Machine

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Italian label Beat Machine have been blazing quite a trail over the past few years, bringing out top releases from the likes of Lynch Kingsley and netting themselves some big remixes to boot. We’ve been thoroughly enjoying their Swinging Flavors series so with the third instalment about to drop we grabbed label co-runner Luca for a quick chat about the Milan scene, the label’s origins and their plans for the future. Check it out!

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DNB Dojo Mix Series 33: Moralz

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MixSeries33_Moralz

Hot on the heels of his excellent new EP for Free Love Digi, we’ve secured a fantastic new mix from LA producer Moralz. Blending footwork, halftime D&B and hip-hop for an exuberant take on the 170BPM sound, the mix features cuts from Moralz and fellow FLD associates Thomas B and Ghast alongside beats from Fracture, Om Unit, Machinedrum, Moresounds and many more. Future jungle business!

As usual you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.

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May Roundup

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Time for another roundup of the best releases in the underground D&B scene; read on for new releases from Renegade Hardware, Flexout, Warm Communications, Invisible and more…

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DNB Dojo Mix Series 32: Thomas B

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MixSeries32_ThomasB

We’ve got another transatlantic hookup on our latest mix as we welcome Arizona-based producer and DJ Thomas B to the Dojo Mix Series! Having proved himself behind the decks in the late 90s New York rave scene under the name Tarzan before relocating to Tuscon in the early 00s, nearly two decades in the scene have informed Thomas’s recent forays into production. Those forays have born forth some of the most forward thinking 170BPM music to cross our inbox, and found him a home at Quentin Hiatus’ excellent Free Love Digi imprint.

Thomas’s selections for this mix span future bass from the likes of Shades, Alix Perez and Signs and more conventional rolling D&B from Xtrah, Noisia and more, plus of course plenty of music from the FLD family. Firing tunes and pinpoint mixing; serious skills!

As usual you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.

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Oliver Yorke – Helion / Kali [None60]

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We’ve been waiting hopefully to hear more music from Oliver Yorke since we first discovered him via his rather excellent Into The Void EP for Vandal Ltd early last year, and thankfully the intervening time hasn’t blunted his talents any.

Oliver lands on Silent Dust’s None60 imprint with two absolutely beautiful slices of deep, experimental music which push the boundaries of the 170BPM template in new and interesting directions. Helion kicks things off with a selection of enthralling melodies, cinematic synth washes and precision percussion; there’s a hint of Photek to the drums and the composition is intricate without feeling hyperactive.

Flipside Kali plays with trap-esque hat rolls and a plodding kick-snare drum pattern, but fear not, this isn’t a half-arsed take on the trendy halftime hip-hop being put about by the likes of Ivy Lab. Once again we’re treated to rich bass and fantastic synth textures set to a head nodding groove. This one has a hint of the sultry to it without getting into “sexy R&B” cliches, and that’s quite a feat in and of itself.

Essential business once again from a really talented musician; check out the clips below and hit up the None60 Bandcamp to grab this one right now.

Dexta – SE4 EP [Diffrent Music]

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Diffrent label boss Dexta is back with a six track EP of his unusual riddims and once again those that like their bassweight a bit less formulaic and bit more wonky are in for a treat.

Kicking off with the constantly lurching swing of the positively undanceable Flaming0 before moving into the deeper and steadier riddims of Secondlife and atmospheric Coma collab Dissolute, there’s plenty of variation to be found here.

Amping things up a bit for a more dancefloor worthy flex, title track SE4 (The Ends) hits heavy with an angular selection of heavy kicks and jungle snares set to an absolutely throbbing bassline; this one is sure to provoke some screwfaces in the rave! Last but not least there are a couple of CD only flavours in the form of hyper-active 170 garage flex Cheater and the stalking, grime influenced vibes of Slew Dub. Wicked stuff.

As usual the EP is available at the Diffrent Bandcamp, but move fast if you want a copy on CD, only four copies left at the time of writing!

Quentin Hiatus – I’m Neither Quentin Nor Hiatus Vol. 2 [Free Love Digi]

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US beatsmith and sonic experimenter extraordinaire Quentin Hiatus returns with the second volume of his split LP, I’m Neither Quentin Nor Hiatus. After the mostly experimental and introspective sounds of the excellent Vol. 1, the second instalment seems to shift focus towards the dancefloor while keeping that trademark QH playfulness when it comes to sitting slightly outside convention.

There’s certainly plenty of variety on show here; After Image kicks things off with a hypnotic slice of rolling, tech-edged D&B, while Always Sunny immediately flips things around into a moodier and more techno inspired groove. Elsewhere we’re treated to lower tempo garagey vibes on the fantastically groovy Danny Tanner, jacking house on Steppin Out and scuzzed up footwork on Edison before I Stop closes the album out with a slice of IDM-infused halftime hip-hop.

If Vol. 1 was the sound of a man’s innermost thoughts and feelings wrapped in an eclectic array of electronic instrumentation, Vol. 2 is that same man jumping out of the armchair and heading straight to the dancefloor to throw some mean shapes. Another thoroughly enjoyable outing from a producer who constantly impresses us here at the Dojo. Check out the clips below and hit up your favourite digital outlet to grab the LP now!

Sabre – Yoga (Alix Perez Remixes) [Plasma Audio]

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After an initially slow cycle of releases Melbourne’s Plasma Audio have kicked things into gear this year, knocking out some really forward thinking music. Their latest release sees them close out 2015 in style with two new remixes from none other than Alix Perez.

It’s always a pleasure when a label picks one of your favourite artists to remix one of your favourite tunes from their catalogue, so when I saw the promo land in the inbox I knew I was in for a treat. Fresh from his storming collab work with EPROM, Perez has taken the chunky hip-hop spirit of Yoga and put his own distinctive touch to it, healthy with that low-slung, crunked-out vibe that he’s so good at dishing up.

In addition to the more obvious club mix, we’re also treated to a less convention bound (and less DJ friendly) rearrangement on the warped mix. My only complaint here is that it could be more warped; asides from the intro the deviations from the club mix aren’t that pronounced, which is a shame given the possibilities for experimental wonkyness. Still, this is a minor quibble in the face of a really enjoyable rework.

This one will be dropping on vinyl in January; hit up the Plasma Store to pre-order the wax, and look out for the digital at all the usual outlets from December 14th.

Grand Royal Vol. 1 [Vandal LTD]

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Vandal LTD’s latest release sees them celebrating a collection of tracks at the edge of the halftime D&B sound where the waters begin to get muddy and the influence of hip-hop, footwork and other bass music mutates the sound in new and interesting ways.

Signs, SKS & Skank get together for the EP’s opener, the swaggering and audacious Bliss Flop. This one undoubtedly owes a little to Ivy Lab’s seminal Sunday Crunk, but it’s still a fantastic slice of halftime hip-hop with a grin-inducing bassline and heaps of attitude.

Tim Reaper’s contribution to the EP (alongside Vanar and Mieur) takes things in a totally different direction, with a distinctly techno influenced beat driving along under spooky soundscapes for a hypnotic journey through 5am clubland and into weird early morning psychedelia.

Elsewhere the EP features some nice tracks influenced by the Chicago footwork sound, the best of which is undoubtedly Lumumba’s Exhale. Frantic high hats and rap vocal cut ups may well be overplayed by now but this one is still a hugely satisfying listen, and it’s nice to see this sound spreading and being played with by so many in the D&B community.

The Grand Royal EP is out now at all good stores, so check out the clips below and grab yourself an unconventional selection of beats at your leisure.